Bow RR Cat 4, Mike Rowell, Aug 6
First let me again thank all of the volunteers for putting on yet another excellent edition of the Bow Road Race. Much appreciated by all. Next, I’m writing this in default as the top NEBC finisher, Gio, defaulted the task, er, honor to me ;)
The men’s Cat4 field was absolutely enormous, the biggest I’ve seen so far with 80 starters. The race had us slated for 4 laps of the ~11 mile loop and got us off promptly at 8:30am without a hitch. The start runs you up a slight rise to a couple rollers and up a moderate rise to a steep KOM hilltop crest. Lap one was gentle as everyone settled into place. Coming back around the start/finish the pace slowed a bit and I found myself up toward and then onto the front. I was riding my own tempo trying to pace comfortably up the climb. Apparently everyone else was OK with my tempo as they never came around so I just kept spinning. Once we were about ½ way up the final KOM hill I saw the shadow of someone coming around. At that point I thought there was no way I was going to puill the whole pack up only to get passed at the top so I stepped it up and went overt the top with what I assume to be a little gap along with a few other riders just behind. They saw the chance and broke. I managed to grab a wheel and 4 or 5 of us hammered the backside and stayed away for a short period. Alas, it was not meant to be and we folded back in.
Not too long after we were caught we had a rider from NorEast Cycling get away. He spent the next couple laps on a solo break that at one point was well over a minute ahead. On the final lap (yes, I skipped lap 3 as it ws sort of boring and the KOM climb was really painful as I recall) the pack was again able to see the leader going into the final climb. Given my experience the last time up the KOM climb I knew I needed to be at the front this time up so as to minimize the damage (done to me by those who can climb well) so I stayed right at the front. I know Gio was there as well. The group managed to pull most of the time back on the breakaway and I got over the top 4th or 5th so was in good shape for the final lap. Shortly thereafter we folded the break back in but then started seeing other breakaway attemps. Disorganization at the front allowed a break on the long fast downhill to get too far away for comfort (maybe 100 yards) and the persuit ensued. Being big (6’2†and 195#), one thing I have on the little guys is the ability to go dowhill fast so I came through on the left and took my turn at the front, which ended up being a tad longer and harder than I’d hoped for. We caught the break right before the left hander/blinking light/church (I think) that then shot up another climb. As I caught, one of the leaders attacked again and the pace jumped to catch right up into the hill. I almost fell off on the climb but managed to stick mid pack. From there it was a host of ups and downs into the fast descent where everyone started jockeying for position into the final corner leading to the hillclimb for the line. I found myself forced wide in the corner and had to play a little catch to jump back onto the acceleration of the ~20 person lead group. I got on and worked my way to the wide open left lane trying to avoid any potential for getting caught up in a crash. I’ve seen way too much of that lately at the finish. Gio was directly ahead and Jesus was with with us as well.
The finishline camera shot tells it all. A nice tight, clean finish with the top 20 or so all crossing the line within about 30 yards of each other and 3 of the NEBC all in the one shot.
Please, if anyone else has their perspectives on the race vioce them. This is just my perception of what went on from where I was sitting. I saw Gio a bunch and also saw Jesus up in the mix. I tried to stay near the front though as riding in the pack makes me, uh, anxious.
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NEBC CAT4 M RESULTS
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5 Giovanni Marzot
9 Mike Rowell
13 Jesus Correa
39 Geoff Martin
58 Thomas Evers
66 Andrew Schmitt
mkr
Mike Rowell